<< Previous Next >>

Contemplation


Contemplation
Photo Information
Copyright: Deborah Kelleher (Debz) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 582 W: 0 N: 866] (3283)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-11-14
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 350D, Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, 58mm U.V. filter
Exposure: f/6.2, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-11-18 2:30
Viewed: 667
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea

Overview
Gaunt grey herons are among the most familiar of British water birds. Fresh or salt, clear or muddy each is acceptable so long as it will yield something worthwhile.

The bird doesn't always wait for quarry but stalks through the shallows with long deliberate strides, neck muscles tensed for spearing.
The Heron's kinked neck is straightened with startling speed and the sharp bill stabs its prey - sometimes several times.

Young waterbirds are taken in hard weather by full-grown birds. A water-rail has been recovered in a heron's stomach. Mice and rats are eaten and judging by the fur in pellets, many water-voles.

Breeding
The heron's breeding season is prolonged. In early February in a mild season, they may be seen soaring over the nesting wood and chasing one another, tilting from side to side and diving head-long. An exciting performance to watch for next to the mute swan the heron is our largest common bird. Endless display takes place on old nest platforms and consists of elaborate neck movements with crest and neck plumes erect and accompanied by bill-snapping and a variety of blood-curdling calls.

For short periods the normally yellow-coloured bill and legs change dramatically to deep orange, especially when a group assembles on the 'dancing grounds' running and skipping first in one direction and then another with open wings.
www.birdsofbritain.co.uk
martic, fartash, marhowie, dejo, sherlock628, Ena, vanderschelden, nglen, haraprasan, Necipp, Adam73, dB_grafix, bobair has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To dB_grafix: ContemplationDebz 1 11-23 03:45
To Argus: ContemplationDebz 1 11-18 05:45
To joey: ContemplationDebz 1 11-18 03:56
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Deborah,
Superb image of this heron, great details, colors and BG, very well done
friendly
Jean-Michel

Hello Deborah
Very nice shot of this Grey Heron,
Perfect focusing,rxposure and BG,
Welldone my friend :o)

Regards
fartashphoto.com

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1880 W: 245 N: 6158] (21922)
  • [2007-11-18 3:19]
  • [+]

Superb shot of this Heron Deborah!
How do you get so close?
Great sharpness and detail produces razor-sharp edges.
Good DOF and BG.
Nice colours aswell.
I like the pose of the bird.
Well done!
Cheers,
Joe

Nice & sharp, excellent details Deborah.
Very good DOF, color, and exposure also..
Subject stands out well from your BG as well :)
Great shot!
Howard

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2058)
  • [2007-11-18 4:17]

Hello Deborah,
Very good capture, great exposure and beautiful details!
very nice pose
Regards, Dejan

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2757 W: 147 N: 7955] (24769)
  • [2007-11-18 5:42]
  • [+]

Hello Debz,
Superb Grey heron shot: one of the best I've seen on TN, but why chop off the feet? Otherwise every other aspect is first class: the lighting, sharpness, bokeh and composition.
Well done and TFS!
Ivan

Hello Debz,
Excellent capture of the Grey Heron. Beautiful details and BG is spot on! It may have been a better composition in the vertical with the feet showing in the water - but nonetheless a Great Shot! TFS
Thomas

  • Great 
  • Ena Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 570] (2343)
  • [2007-11-18 8:21]

Hello Deborah,
Excellent shot!
Good sharpness and nice colors.
Regards
Ena

Hello Deborah,
Do like the heron's sharpness and details in the whites as well as your blurred background.
TFS
Annick

Hi Debz, splendid Heron in great pose, excellent details, superb sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5959] (22526)
  • [2007-11-18 9:42]

Hi Debz.This is an excellent close up of the beautiful Heron. You have captured fine detail with your sharp focusing. with good natural colours. a nice POV/DOF. well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-11-18 18:41]

Hello Deborah

A very debonair looking bird.The focus is sharp and the details are excellent.
The lighting is very good with rich ,well saturated colours.
The plumage detail is well defined.
Very good eye detail and colouring.
The POV is wonderful.
TFS

Rob

Hi Deborah,
A beautiful capture of this gray heron. Excellent details and composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hi Deborah,
A very clear and clean shot of this heron with great crisp colors and sharpness. The composition is nice and you realy got astonishingly close. This said, I agree that maybe including the feed or even cropping higher up and getting still closer would have been interesting. A wonderfull shot anyway !
Greetings, Mike

Hi Deborah,
A lovely photo apart from the missing feet or water surface where the legs enter. Perhaps you should have taken it in portrait mode?
Best wishes,
Peter

Hi Debz excellent sharpness and great DOF/background seperation, good pov. Nice light tfs rgds Necip.

photo of one of my favorite birds. You do real well with that 70-300mm I read you are saving for the 100-400 and I think you will really like that lens. Its very sharp. The two fall backs of that lens is it focuses a bit slow which makes it harder to get birds in flight and the IS is 1st generation.

Back to your shot, the shot is very beautiful with your W/B being very good. Nice colors and Great background.

Nice focus on eyes Deborah. This heron is captured with real fine details and stark colouring. I like how I think you kept the right side longer to show where he is looking. Best wishes.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1424 W: 127 N: 5231] (23155)
  • [2007-11-23 5:18]

Hello Deborah, very nice portrait of the Heron. Sharp with a very nice exposure, great background too. Very very well done !

Mario

Hi Deborah,
this is a fine looking capture of this heron and knowing what you said to Joe the fact that the feet are not seen is acceptable.You have very good detail and colour in this shot with a very clean focus.It is amazing just how much wildlife really lives with us in our cities and when you get out into the countryside your photo skills will net you some very nice material to be sure.I like your photos and thank you for sharing them and keep up the good work. Bob

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF